'The Call' - Part 3 of 4

We left you hanging for a while in concerns to some of the most influential experiences that helped us hear God’s call to a missionary life in Kenya – let me be clear: these are stories that reflect days, weeks, and even months of prayer and seeking God’s will.  There were many other ‘moments’ – words of affirmation – conversations, scriptures shining light on our situation…but, we continued saying, ‘we are not impulsive people, God!  Are You sure?’  Is that a strength or weakness?  Regardless, the third segment to our missionary call series takes us to the final destination: Anne’s trip to Kenya in the summer of 2014.

The weeks leading up to Anne leaving for Kenya, I felt it was very important that she continue reading God’s Word while on her trip.  Our church had developed a reading plan that outlined what we should be reading each week, but I knew it was not going to be a priority for my wife while exploring a foreign country.

By exploring a foreign country, I mean: we knew she had a very clear mission question, ‘can you live here and do ministry with the nationals?’  That was what my wife was trying to get her hands around.  Let’s be honest: it sounds cool to be a missionary in a foreign country, but do you really love the people there?  Can you eat their food?  Can you survive the climate and wildlife?  Those were all questions that we discussed before Anne went to Kenya.  If she said, ‘no’, to those questions, how would our family, along with young children, possibly be able to say, ‘yes’?  Our plan had changed because of the influence of the Holy Spirit – which meant she was not simply going on a short-term mission trip.  This was a scouting trip; she was using her own weaknesses and strengths as a litmus test before introducing our children to a full-blown survey (as much as I wanted to go, I had already been called by God to attend a domestic mission trip at the same time).

In an effort not to bore you, I’m going to tell you a story that, hopefully, will summarize my wife’s trip.

Backtracking a moment - remember the importance I see in a devotional life?  To keep Anne on-track with her devotional life, I wrote a short devotion for each day of her trip.  I tied that day in with a chapter from our church’s reading plan (which covered more chapters, but I needed to focus on one chapter for a devotion) and how it may be applicable to her situation.

It was a brutally long series of flights and delays before Anne and the other short-term mission team arrived in Malindi – 46 hours.  Ryan Copico kept me up-to-date with their progress and delays via text messages, but, when it was all said and done, my wife and I were reading ‘Day 3: Acts 16’.  Here’s that devotion (the first 8 days of our devotion is shown in the picture; the other days were on the back – I wanted it to be portable because Anne’s trip involved visiting all of the church’s the Taylors had planted around Malindi.  Mine is beat-up, dirty, and scribbled on because I also traveled while she was away: that’s part 4 of 4!):

Day 3: Acts 16

God impressed this chapter on my heart when you found out that your trip would consist of travelling from place to place and meeting with people under trees.  The story of Lydia’s salvation is so simple.

The missionaries go down to the river to sit and talk with people – they meet Lydia who is a merchant of expensive textiles – I know you are going to meet ‘Lydias’ – people leading simple lives of trading.

Stop.

Pray.

Talk to them.

Okay, not much of ‘devotion’.  But, it was on that day we were able to talk for the first time since she had left.  The end of our conversation is what I really want to highlight.  Anne quickly said, ‘I have to go.  Bats are flying around my head!’

I was so happy – that’s right!  She hates bats!  If, tomorrow, she is still enjoying herself and answering ‘yes’ to the questions I listed earlier, God’s being very clear.

Day 4: Acts 18

Consider this day a follow-up to Lydia’s story.  (By the way, I’m trying to get you to think about the ‘lesser’ stories that we tend to skip over.)  I know you are also going to meet people who have faith.  They will already know Jesus.  However, they might not have any other tools to work with.

I’m especially hoping you encounter faithful women who – I’ll pray for this – you can identify their talents and encourage them to share their faith.  Your mission is to spread the Word, but also equip the locals to carry it on once you leave.

This day was a special moment for me – when I talked to Anne that day, and after she got back home, I asked my wife this question, and she had the same answer both times, ‘what are/did you enjoy(ing) the most about Kenya?’  Her answer: she loved the women she met.  She was passionate to help them, and desperately wanted to come along side them as a mentor!

I saw a little note I scribbled on my devotion by Day 4: it said, ‘…be the Miss Renee in the bunch’.  (Renee Johnson: our pastor’s wife who Anne admires as an excellent model and example of a Godly woman, wife, and mother who counsels other women in those areas.)  I felt a great sense of peace that God had prepared my wife to be a ‘missionary wife’.  She faced her greatest fear (bats flying around her head…and a situation filled with unknowns), and remained focused on the purpose God had placed in our sight – she was there to fall in love with the people of Kenya, and she did.

We weren't concerned with the missionary team on the ground in East Kenya for Anne’s trip, to be honest.  I knew enough pastors that spoke highly of the Taylors.  Anne, though, was a bit concerned that Kenya Taylor would be ‘Wonder Woman’, and perfect!  Again, something she needed to understand: what is a ‘missionary wife’?  Anne quickly realized that Kenya, a ‘missionary wife’, was just like her: passionate, built by God’s design, a mother, and a wife who was accessible and not unlike any of her friends back in the States – a wonderful woman.  We had been ‘doing life’ and ministry with families at our local church for years and felt our chemistry with the East Kenya Mission’s team was important, but needed examined after we understood our call to the people and country they were working with.

That was after four days.  We had an answer to some of our questions: God said, ‘yes!’  But, what would happen over time?  Anne was in Kenya for two weeks – the last installment in this series happens during her second week abroad while I was in Indianapolis on a domestic mission trip.  I want to share with you what God was doing at City Reach, USA.  I heard God say ‘yes’ to more questions – and then I had more questions!  More importantly, God made me realize I had some work to do in my own Christian walk, first.